In present-day data processing systems, the use of bar code symbols on labels or articles is well known as a means for acquiring data at a point of sale or other business transaction. The bar code symbol on the article or label is read by a scanning apparatus to provide data such as the identification and price of the article. Of course, additional data may be required of the system in the overall arrangement depending on the complexity of the business operation.
The bar code symbol is used on documents such as guest checks for hotels, dining facilities or the like where the information concerning items of food and/or drinks is entered and recorded on the check and the bar code symbol is read by a reader for processing the information.
While the format and arrangement of printed information on the guest check varies for each business establishment, certain information is desirable to provide a record of the transactions. The printed information on the guest check may include the name and address of the business, the server, table, number of persons, time, date or other like information.
It is also known that the guest checks may comprise a single sheet or ply on which is printed the essential information, with a bar code symbol being printed in an appropriate machine readable location. A portion of the check generally is easily removable along a line of perforations for issuing to the guest and which portion includes a record of the service and transaction.
The guest check may comprise a back or bottom ply on which is printed the essential information along with a printed bar code symbol, and a front or top ply which is secured to the back or bottom ply by means of a line of adhesive or the like. The front or top ply may extend over a portion or all of the back or bottom ply and is removable therefrom by the server or cashier for the desired use.
Another arrangement comprises a multiple ply guest check which includes the printed information including the bar code symbol on all plies and wherein the plies are secured together by means of a line of adhesive along one edge of the guest check.
Representative documentation relating to multiple ply business forms includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,402, issued to I. R. Michlin on Mar. 4, 1980, which discloses a form having a face sheet, a back sheet and a plurality of intermediate sheets which are secured together along one side edge and wherein the intermediate sheets are made of a greater width than the face and back sheets.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,492, issued to G. W. Fitzgibbons on Aug. 10, 1982, discloses first and second superimposed plies of paper each having an information receiving portion. One ply is completely slit adjacent one edge and an easily releasable glue line secures the two plies together adjacent the slit.
U.S. application Ser. No. 930,823, filed Nov. 14, 1986, on the invention of J. R. Engle et al. discloses a multiple ply document which includes a front ply and a back ply secured together at two locations and a middle ply extending to a location short of the two locations and secured to the back ply.